Mass Effect: Eden
by Vhetin1138
Summary: The first part of my novelization of the Mass Effect series. A young military commander is assigned to his new post aboard a prototype ship. But when the colony of Eden Prime comes under attack, the commander will uncover a secret for which the galaxy is woefully unprepared...
1. Introduction

_[Begin Playback]_

_Date: July 19, 2188_

_Location: Undisclosed location, interstellar transit_

_Interview Subject: TT-3920-GV_

"Do I remember the Commander? Of course I remember him. It's impossible to forget, after everything that happened."

"What can you tell us about him?"

(Long pause) "What is this? Some kind of extranet interview? Trying to get a look at the real guy, beyond what they show in the vids?"

"No."

"Then what is the purpose of this?"

"That's classified."

"Ah. I get it. _Classified_. I've spent enough time in the military or in police agencies to know that really means _shut the hell up and tell us what we want to know_."

"Basically."

(Long pause) "All right. What do you want to know?"

* * *

_Date: March 25, 2187_

_Location: Earth_

_Interview Subject: VS-0329-AW_

"Is this some kind of bad joke?"

"No, it is not."

"You're asking me whether I remember the Commander? After everything I went through with him... you seriously think I'd _forget_?"

"Lieutenant Commander, please lower your voice."

(Long pause) "You're not Naval Intelligence."

"No."

"You're not Internal Affairs?"

"No."

"Some kind of creepy terrorist group, maybe?"

"No."

"Then what do you want with all this? I know you've been talking to the others. What are you trying to do?"

"We are simply trying to gain a better understanding of just who the Commander was and what he went through."

"Watch one of the vids. They'll tell you more than we can."

"Yes, they'll show us an idealized superhero who protected the good and the meek in the universe. That's not the information we're looking for. We're just going to ask you some simple questions and we want you to give us your take on how certain events unfolded."

(sigh) "All right. Shoot."

* * *

_Date: August 9, 2185_

_Location: Earth_

_Interview Subject: GW-3025-DA_

"The Commander... now there's a touchy subject. Everything he's accomplished, all the shit he's done... good and bad, it makes for one hell of a story. Not sure I believe it myself sometimes. I've seen things during my service, done things that would make some grown men cry. But the things the Commander has seen and done... well, let's just say he's a different breed."

"How so?"

(chuckle) " I don't know what you're planning with these interviews or what you want. But there's only one thing you need to know about the Commander."

"What's that?"

"He's a hero. A goddamned hero, the kind of person that only comes around once in a generation. He is our generation's Achilles, our Hercules. Hell, he's our generation's Superman as long as we're making comparisons. So write that down in your little notebook and relay it to whoever you're doing this for. I'm not saying any more."

* * *

_Date: January 14, 2186_

_Location: SSV Normandy SR-2_

_Last Known Interview with Primary Subject_

"He said that?"

"He did."

(long pause) "He's wrong."

"Come again?"

"He's wrong. I'm not a hero."

"There are many who would disagree, Commander. Look at your accomplishments."

"I did what I had to under stressful circumstances. More than that, I had the support of some of the best people I've ever had the privilege of serving with. Soldiers who didn't give up, no matter the odds, no matter what I dragged them into. Some... some of them didn't make it back home afterward."

"But surely-"

"Look, you can keep trying to drive this into my skull, but I'm never going to agree. I'm just a man. I'm not a hero and I never will be."

"And if history decides otherwise?"

"Then I guess this interview will be the only thing that explains the truth."

"Right. Can we get your name one more time for our files?"

"Of course. My name is Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy, Captain of the SSV _Normandy _SR-2. And I guess this is my story."

* * *

_Author's note: Whew. This story was a long time coming. I've been waiting to work on this project for a very long time. Here's hoping I can pull it off to everyone's satisfaction. I'm not as familiar with Mass Effect as I am with Star Wars, but I'm determined enough to give it a try._

_From here on, I'm going to try working on a serial novelization of each Mass Effect game. With ME1, I'm going to divide it up into sections, starting with the attack on Eden Prime. Let it be noted that this is NOT just a word-for-word translation of the game. This is going to have my own scenes, characters, plotlines, etc, all of which will tie in to the overarching superstructure of the ME1 experience. Hope you enjoy._


	2. Prologue

Prologue

_In fits and starts, mankind began a cautious expansion into the stars. In 2069, we established our first permanent settlement on the moon. By 2103, Mars became open to colonization. Within forty years, a massive space station was constructed beyond the orbit of Pluto. At last, the Sol system was under our complete control._

_Then, in 2148, researchers on Mars discovered the ruins of an ancient city. Not human ruins, but the remnants of a civilization vastly superior – and far more ancient – than ours. A race to uncover the secrets of these ruins began with ferocious determination. Mankind discovered that the ruins were the legacy of an ancient space faring race: the Protheans. Within a year, scientists had decoded coordinates to a mysterious device the Protheans supposedly used for interstellar transportation. Following the coordinates, we discovered our first mass relay._

_The relay was unlike anything mankind had seen before: a tremendous machine that, when activated, was capable of bending time and space to its will. The device, as far as human scientists could tell, could somehow manipulate the laws of physics, change the mass of any physical object, and allow near-instantaneous travel across the galaxy._

_This theory was proved correct when mankind made a new discovery: that we were not alone in the universe. When mankind began to search for other relays to activate, a human fleet encountered a group of unknown spacecraft traveling through the relay. These new spacecraft engaged the humans, attacking with a brutality that left only one ship in the fleet intact. The aliens continued to the colonized world of Shanxi, capturing the planet and holding its colonists hostage. Only a desperate counteroffensive from the humans liberated the planet from the alien invaders._

_Mankind prepared for a full-scale invasion, but soon came in contact with other races of extraterrestrial forces. The attacking aliens withdrew while the other races apologized for the conflict, welcoming mankind into a much larger galactic community._

_Almost overnight, mankind's influence grew across the universe. We came into contact with the beautiful Asari, the most advanced culture in the galaxy and the leaders of galactic government, the curious and contemplative Salarians, the galaxy's foremost scientists, and the stoic and aggressive Turians that had first attacked mankind._

_Man found an uneasy place in the new galactic community, finding peace with the other races. We were given an embassy on the massive Citadel space station, the center of galactic power. Given representation, power to expand and colonize beyond our own system, and freedom to trade and form alliances with other races, mankind reaped tremendous benefit from this new world._

_But the peace is not meant to last. It is the height of arrogance to believe that all the galaxy has been explored, to believe that there are no more secrets left to uncover. And the mysterious Protheans, whose enigmatic technology jump-started our extrasolar explorations, may yet lead us to much darker discoveries..._

* * *

Author's Note: It's coming, I promise!


	3. Chapter 1

1

"_The Normandy SR-1 was a marvel of engineering. A joint project between the human and the turian militaries, the SR-1 was the most advanced stealth ship in the galaxy, at least by our standards. It was designed for reconnaissance and inconspicuous observation, in theaters where a cruiser or even a squadron of fighters would be too prominent. And when you factor in the best crew a captain could ask for... well, she was a hell of an asset."_

_- _Admiral Stephen Hackett

* * *

The chill. That was the first thing Commander Shepard noticed when he stepped aboard the docking bay that led to his new post. The ship was cold, colder than most warships he'd served on in the past. He felt a shiver race up his spine, though not due to any feelings of anxiety or nervousness. This was simply another post, another mission, nothing to get excited about. The fact that he was serving under the Alliance's first N7 graduate, or that this was probably the most expensive ship in the entire galaxy was cause for slight hesitation, but not anxiety.

At least that was what he kept telling himself.

He adjusted the collar of his dark blue dress suit, straightened out the badges on the left side of his chest, then took a deep breath and hit the intercom.

"This is Commander Shepard, requesting permission to come aboard."

The deep, gravelly voice of the captain replied, "Permission granted, Commander. Welcome to the Normandy."

The door hissed open, releasing another blast of cold air. Shepard narrowed his eyes, but kept his face as relaxed and calm as possible. He was going to be first mate of this ship, after all. He needed to show the crew that their new XO wasn't weak-willed or prone to nerves.

He stepped aboard, holding his hat under one arm. The captain was waiting for him just inside, on the main deck. A tall, dark-skinned man in his mid-forties, Captain Anderson was an imposing figure, though not in a threatening way. His presence demanded respect, but his kind gaze also made him seem almost instantly trustworthy.

The captain's military record was also cause for respect; Captain Anderson had served in the military at the start of the First Contact War, when humanity had first met the turians. He had not only survived the war, but had come out of the conflict with several commendations and awards. He had served in the navy since then, eventually earning his position as captain of the Normandy. The position itself was a great honor, though Shepard had heard from some officers that a post to the Normandy was a dead-end position.

Shepard didn't know why Anderson had personally requested him as XO on the ship, and he didn't know whether to be honored or worried. But despite the circumstances, Shepard was glad to see him again. He quickly stood at attention and saluted crisply. "Reporting for duty, Captain."

Captain David Anderson returned the salute, then held out a hand. "Good to have you aboard, son. It's been too long."

Shepard shook the captain's hand and nodded. "It has, sir."

Anderson nodded back and gestured for him to follow him deeper inside. "What has the brass told you so far?"

Shepard looked around, studying the ship as they walked. "Not much. I was told to report to the Normandy for reassignment. That you had requested my transfer yourself."

The walls were curved, sloping inward. There were control stations set into either side of the central pathway, lit with flickering orange light of the holographic terminals that allowed the crew to monitor the status of the ship. Every seat along the pathway was occupied, the crew members issuing orders, requesting status reports, or merely working in silence to get the ship ready for launch. Behind him, Shepard could hear muttering from the cockpit. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the pilot slouched low in his seat, an Alliance cap pulled low over his eyes.

"That I did, Commander. I was given special permission to handpick my crew. You were at the top of my list."

Shepard frowned, but said nothing for the moment. He had known Anderson for a long time; they had first met when Shepard had been formally introduced into the prestigious N7 military program. While engaged in N7 training, Shepard had been placed under the tutelage of Captain Anderson. The captain had been a gruff teacher, but a good one.

Further along, the control stations branched out in a rough oval shape, curving around the CIC, the Combat Information Center. There was a large, raised holographic projector in the center of the room, surrounded by glowing orange terminals. Stairs led up to a platform that overlooked it all; the captain's post, most likely. A glowing orange representation of the Normandy hung in mid-air over the projector, flickering slightly in the dim lighting.

"Sir," Shepard said slowly, staring at the hologram as they passed, "could I ask a personal question?"

"Ask away, son."

"Why did you request my transfer? I mean, I'm a marine. I'm used to fighting on the ground, not commanding a ship."

"Technically I'll be commanding the ship." Anderson came to a halt, turning to face him and folding his arms across his chest. A smile was tugging at his lips. "I think it's high time you were put in charge of an important assignment. Something deserving of an N7 graduate."

"Sir-"

"I've seen your record, Shepard. You're a soldier, yes. But you're also a born leader, and that's the kind of person I need watching over this ship."

"But-"

"I know what you're going to say," Anderson said, holding up a hand. "And we both know what happened wasn't your fault. The brass may think otherwise, but I know you. I know you would have done everything in your power to turn that situation around."

Shepard remained silent this time. Anderson folded his arms and said, "Shepard, I know why you have reservations. Hell, I'd have the same concerns if I were in your shoes. But all that matters is this: I trust you."

Shepard frowned. "Thank you, sir. I think."

The captain pointed to the N7 insignia on Shepard's chest. "You wouldn't be wearing that on your dress blues if you hadn't earned it. And I think an N-Seven is exactly what we need for this mission."

"I think you mean two N-Sevens, sir," Shepard said, nodding to the tiny insignia on Anderson's own suit.

Anderson cracked a smile again and said, "Commander, I think you're going to be just fine."

He turned away, giving Shepard the impression that the matter had been dropped once and for all. "Now follow me. We've got to get you settled in."

Anderson led Shepard to the back of the CIC, to one of a pair of doors that were set into either side of the room. The captain nodded to the guard standing watch, then keyed open the door and led Shepard down a long, curving flight of stairs to the second deck.

The Crew Deck was similar to the CIC; same curving walls, same dim lighting. There were a collection of tables set up in the center of the room, where the crew could dine or simply enjoy their off-duty hours. There were a few crew members standing around, but the deck looked mostly empty.

"You'll receive security clearance allowing access to the entire ship," Anderson explained as they walked. "For now, though, we need to have you check in with the doctor and have you prepped for a deep space mission."

The medical bay was a long, rectangular room set into the starboard side of the deck. As he stepped through the door, Shepard saw a typical medical facility: medigel dispensers, sick beds, and a desk where the doctor could perform tests or do day-to-day work.

The doctor herself, who was introduced as Doctor Karin Chakwas, was a middle-aged woman with gray hair and green eyes. She seemed friendly enough, greeting both the captain and the commander with a smile. She set aside the datapad she was reading and said, "Captain. What can I do for you?"

Anderson gestured to Shepard. "This is Commander Shepard, the Normandy's new XO. We need to have him cleared medically before we can get underway."

"Of course, Captain." Doctor Chakwas turned to Shepard and said, "I'm sure you'll find it most welcoming here, Commander. This ship is crewed by some of the best the Alliance has to offer."

"Nice to know," he said. The doctor picked up a needle and gestured for Shepard to give her his arm. He complied and she quickly drew a sample of blood.

"I can safely assume you were studied by medical staff for routine concerns before setting foot aboard this ship," Doctor Chakwas explained, "so all we'll need is a blood test. It should be finished by the end of the day. However, I do have some questions I must ask."

"Ask away."

"Are you aware of any diseases you might carry, or sicknesses you have had recently?"

He shook his head. "I've had a clean bill of health for the past six months."

"Any medical concerns I should be made aware of? Allergies and the like?"

He shook his head again. The doctor consulted her datapad and frowned thoughtfully. "It says here you show traces of element zero exposure. Do you have biotic implants?"

"Minor ones," Shepard said, rubbing at the back of his neck were said mechanics had been surgically implanted in his body. "I'm no true biotic, but I can sometimes store up enough charge for a halfhearted shove."

"That shouldn't be much of a problem, then," Doctor Chakwas nodded, then looked up at the captain. "Everything checks out. After that blood test comes back, I'd say the commander will be fine."

Anderson nodded. "Good. Carry on, Doctor. I'll be in touch."

They left the medical bay, passing by a silent man working on the wiring just outside the captain's quarters on the other side of the room. Shepard was led around the back of the crew deck and to a heavy blast door set into the area just in front of the stairs. Anderson keyed the door open and ushered Shepard into a compact elevator. Another keystroke and the elevator started down.

"This is an impressive ship, sir," Shepard felt compelled to say. He meant it, too. He'd served on many ships during his career, but nothing quite like the Normandy. Never before had he seen such precision and functionality mixed with such elegant architecture. From the outside, the Normandy looked more like a luxury yacht than a stealth frigate. Long, sleek, and elegant, the ship was rounded along the top, with four heavy mass driver engines flowing from the rear. From within, the ship was curved and graceful, more reminiscent of an Asari vessel.

Anderson nodded. "The Normandy was part of a joint construction project with the Turians. Little more than a political maneuver to try to get our races holding hands again after the First Contact War. But even publicity stunts can have good outcomes."

"And what exactly is our mission, sir?" Shepard said. He was genuinely curious. So far, all he'd been told was that he was the right man for the job. What job that was, he still had no idea.

"Right now, all we're doing is taking the ship out on a test run. The Council funded the construction of the Normandy and they want to see her in action."

"What kind of action?"

Anderson chuckled as the elevator ground to a halt and the doors slid open. "Any kind of action we can find, Commander."

The doors parted and they stepped out into the spacious cargo bay. Along the starboard wall of the room was a massive eight-wheeled vehicle with a mounted turret on top. Shepard raised an eyebrow at the vehicle: a Mako Tank, designed for high-risk air drops into combat zones. Shepard had never driven one personally, but knew that the tank sported several altitude rockets that could be fired in combat to launch the vehicle into the air; useful for dodging gunfire, rockets, or other projectiles.

Again, Shepard got the feeling there was more going on than he was being told. But he trusted Anderson and he knew the captain would eventually come clean.

"This is the main cargo bay," the captain explained. "Along the port wall you'll find your armor locker and a weapon bench to work on your firearms. We have some standard weapon mods in stock on board, but you can buy others when you're on shore leave. Or you can talk to the requisitions officer when he gets back from his shopping on Arcturus Station."

A tiny, cramped hallway led to the rear of the ship and its most impressive feature: the drive core. Shepard had seen the reports of the Normandy's tech, but he wasn't completely prepared for what he saw in the engineering bay: a massive sphere, humming violently, shooting out bright flashes of blue-white light every few seconds. Shepard had to pause for a moment and stare at the construction.

It almost seemed impossible. The drive core's spherical design was huge, far too large for a ship the size of the Normandy. It obviously took a lot of maintenance to keep it functional; the engineering deck was crowded with busy crewmen, all hurrying to keep the engines functioning at peak efficiency.

As Shepard looked around, a bald man with a lined face approached them and saluted. Anderson saluted back, Shepard following suit a few moments later.

"Chief Engineer Gregory Adams, sirs," the man said. "Glad to be welcoming you to the _Normandy_."

Shepard nodded and shook the man's hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Chief Engineer. You're in charge of this area?"

He nodded. "We call it The Zoo. Sometimes that name is more fitting than it sounds."

Shepard turned back to the drive core, shaking his head. "This is unbelievable. Why spend so much money on such a huge drive core? Wouldn't a normal core have worked just as well?"

"A normal core wouldn't have fit into the _Normandy's _designed operations," Adams explained, taking position on Shepard's right and folding his arms. "Sure, they could have re-evaluated the strategic value of the ship, but they needed _Normandy_ to do a specific set of tasks, and this size of drive core was the only thing that would let the Normandy do that."

Shepard looked over at the man. "You were part of the original Normandy project?"

Adams nodded. "Oversaw the installation of the core myself. Well, not by myself really. I had an uptight Turian who was supposed to be overseeing it with me. Didn't do anything but insult humans and their _weak, unarmored hides that couldn't even hold up against a strike from an Asari's manicured fingernails_..."

He cleared his throat. "I digress."

Shepard cracked a slight smile. He liked Engineer Adams. "So what can you tell me about the drive core?"

"She's a prototype, like the rest of the ship," Adam reported. "Designed for speed and stealth. Useful on a frigate like the _Normandy_."

"I can understand the speed," Shepard said, "but how does it help with stealth missions?"

"As you know," Adams said, "the biggest problem of jumping to Faster Than Light speeds is the heat. Going the speed a ship does, even when assisted by a Mass Accelerator, heats the ship up a few million degrees when it leaves FTL and begins decelerating."

"Right," Shepard said.

"Add that to the heat produced by the day-to-day systems and the fact that the _Normandy_ operates against the absolute zero temperatures of space, and it's not a very effective stealth ship. We show up on any kind of thermal scanners almost instantly."

"Right."

"That's where the drive core comes in, at least partially," Adams said. "It powers the ship-wide Internal Emission Sink systems, the IES."

"And what does that do?"

"It catches the heat and stores it in massive heat sinks in the hull. Kind of like the heat sinks in the weapons you carry, only ten times the size. These catch the heat and store it, keeping the outside hull of the ship the exact same temperature as the space around it."

"So anyone scanning for the ship will just see a blanket temperature of space," Shepard said, nodding. "Impressive."

"It doesn't work forever, of course," Adams said. "After about three hours of running silent, the heat sinks have to be vented or we risk an internal overload that will cook the crew alive. If we're just drifting and watching enemy movement, though, we can go for days without needing to vent."

Shepard adjusted his collar. "Explains why it's so damn cold onboard."

Adams nodded. "It's necessary, sir. There's enough heat that the sinks have to regulate as it is. Any more and we'd risk overload."

Shepard nodded. "I understand."

"In addition to the stealth systems," Adams said, "the larger size of the core means we can travel at FTL speeds for longer before needing to pull out and discharge built up static charge. We can move at twice the speed for twice as long as any other ship in the Alliance."

"Impressive."

"With all due respect, sir," Adams said with a smile, "you have no idea."

Anderson chuckled and patted the engineer on the shoulder. "As you were, chief."

Adams saluted again. "Sir. I'll be here if you need me."

The man turned back to his duties, heading over to another technician and requesting an update on the capacitor charge disruptions. Anderson watched him go, then turned to Shepard and said, "Well, what do you think?"

Shepard shook his head. "It's an amazing ship, sir. I'm proud to be serving on her."

Anderson nodded. "As was I when I first set foot on her. The _Normandy_ is an incredible ship, staffed by an incredible crew. You'll find that it may not be the most glamorous or exciting position at times, but this will be one of the best posts in your career, I promise."

He put a hand on Shepard's shoulder and squeezed reassuringly.

"Welcome home, son."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Ha ha! I'm done! That took _forever_ to get through, and it was all just introductions! That said, it was a ton of fun to write. It's great that Mass Effect has so much dialogue because characters I would normally find challenging to write – Anderson springs to mind – have so many lines that I can imagine their voices and write their dialogue accordingly.

So one chapter down, bunches more to go. Next one will be all about getting to know the crew and Shepard's first steps on Eden Prime. See you then.


End file.
